I have not used the 7mm08 for elk. However I base my therory that it should work well because I have used the 6.5X55 for that purpose. I also used the 260 one year which also made a good clean one shot kill with a 140 grain X bullet. A friend using my same rifle also made a one shot kill on a nice bull. Many hunters in Sweden and Norway use the 6.5x55 for Elk and moose. I still don't believe, that even if you want to say 22 percent, that a game animal hit with any of those rifles firing a 160 grain premium bullet would know any difference since they would be dead.. Just because its accepted that you can't use too much gun, there is still a point that some guns are enough. However it always has and alway will come down to hunter skill. Some can and some can't. Thats why its hard to recommend a caliber. You don't know who you are dealing with. I can speak to what works for me. Thats all anyone can do. I do know that many Elk have been taken with the 7mm08 Contender Handgun.